


A Prayer For You

by Altainia



Category: Brothers Conflict
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Forbidden Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-06-10 16:46:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15295803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altainia/pseuds/Altainia
Summary: Ema keeps trying to tell herself that she cannot be in love, especially with her new, older stepbrother.  Kaname makes many advances at her, but what he doesn't know is that she has been in love with him since they first met.  Will she have the courage to confess her true feelings to her brother who is also a Buddist monk and change both of their lives?





	1. Sleepover

**Author's Note:**

> I am not trying to copy text directly from the anime, but I wanted to have an alternative path for the story. I give credit to all the original story writers while I add my bit as well. My story is a Ema X Kaname match. I also removed Julian from the story. Please forgive me if monks don't marry, I have no clue, but the game does let them have a happy ending *^,^* Please enjoy!

Ema was a little nervous over the fact that she was getting to live with not only one step-brother, but thirteen in fact. She was nervous about whether or not they would like her or if they felt she was intruding in their space. However she was also excited. She was going to have brothers! Family that would be around for meals and fun. Ema didn't have anyone around for months at a time, because her father was off adventuring for his job.  
Ema had learned to cook, clean, and take care of her home while her father was away. She would never hold that against him though. And now she was getting a new mother and all these brothers. She couldn't be happier. Ema had spent all day and into the night packing up her belongings while imagining what it might be like moving in with her new family. Her oldest brother was thirty-one, and the youngest was ten. It was definitely going to be lively at her new home.

She checked the directions her father had given her as she exited at her subway stop. Her heart fluttered excitedly as she approached a large building with a moving truck parked outside. A older man and a young boy were directing the movers as she stepped closer to her new home. "Oh, hi there. You must be our new step-sister, Ema?" The older man smiled at her with warmth and kindness. This made Ema blush a little as she introduced herself. "It's very nice to finally meet you. I'm Masaomi, the oldest, and this here is the youngest, Wataru." Masaomi and Wataru's greeting warmed her heart. She was finally going to have a family around. Masaomi explained that they had already brought her belongings up to her room. "I would be more then happy to show you around." Ema smiled and politely accepted his kind offer. As they toured around her new home, Masaomi told her that not all of the brothers lived in this building. Some had their own places or they were working abroad. Tonight, however, he tried to message everyone about coming over to at least introduce themselves.  
When Masaomi had shown her to her room, he directed her back to the dining hall to get dinner ready. Her second oldest brother, Ukyo, was preparing a large meal for the household. Ukyo explained that even though he was a lawyer, he was the cook of the family. Masaomi was a doctor that also chose to live with his younger siblings while playing the 'mother hen' in place of her step-mother.  
One by one the brothers started appearing in the living room, some super eager to meet her, like Tsubaki. He was one of the triplets. He greeted Ema with a big hug that made her blush. Azuza, one of the other triplets, punched Tsubaki and apologized to Ema for his brothers' rude behavior. Up above them, someone she recognized shouted down to the triplets to keep it down. When her eyes locked on him, she suddenly realized it was her classmate, Yuusuke. Yuusuke dashed down the stairs, clearly in as much shock as she was. "Wait, why are you here?" Yuusuke pried. Ema stuttered her answer until Ukyo made it clear that Tsubaki was supposed to have told Yuusuke ahead of time. 'He seems angry...' Ema thought, a little embarrassed that she didn't realize it until now that Yuusuke's mother was marrying her father after all. ***  
While Yuusuke and Tsubaki quirreled some distance away from her, a tall, beautiful man with radiant blond hair and monk robes stepped down the stairway. "And at last me meet. You look lovely..." This man wore a beautiful purple sash and had several piercings in his ear. As he decended, Ema could feel her heart beat like never before. He approached her and ever so gently held her hand as he introduced himself as the third oldest son, Kaname. After Kaname offered to give her a riveting buddist sermon, he very gentlemanly-like kissed the top of her hand. Ema couldn't breathe. This beautiful man before her was one of her brothers. 'Why is my heart beating so hard in my chest?' She wondered, but her thoughts were interrupted by Yuusuke shouting "Kaname, that's gross!" Ema felt so embarrassed with herself that she had to sit down. 

Ema fidgeted with her uniform sleeves as she started to feel her temperature change. Masaomi noticed and asked if she wanted to turn up the A/C if she was feeling hot. Ema shook her head, but Kaname, who just sat down next to her answered, "It is a little stuffy in here, especially with all of us together compressing body heat in the living room." "Hey, big sis!" Wataru shouted, "I could show you a giant bunny. He's in my room, come on..." 'Sweet Wataru...' Ema thought as he clinged to her arm, trying to persuade her. However Masaomi turned him down for her. The brothers explained that two of their siblings didn't live here anymore, one was at work, and then they clicked on the TV to show her another brother that was a popular rock star.  
Ema looked around at all her new brothers, suddenly feeling nervous again. She met eyes with Kaname, and he smirked and winked at her. 'They seem nice,' Ema thought, 'I hope they stay that way...' Suddenly Ema lunged forward to the coffee table, barely able to stop herself from falling forward. She was so dizzy and was sweating. Masaomi placed a hand on her forehead, confirming that she was burning up and needed to go rest in her room.

Masaomi, Ukyo and Kaname took her up to her room and tucked her into bed. "I'm sorry, I hope you're not mad at me?" Ema feverishly said. Kaname smiled sweetly down at her. "Of course not, there's no need to apologize. Especially since you have your very own doctor in the house." The three brothers left to get dinner ready, as well as make her something special for fighting off her fever. They told her to get some much needed rest and that later on, if she wanted to take a bath, she needed to use the one on the fifth floor. Before he left, Kaname added, "Goodnight and sweet dreams, sis." Ema was left speechless. 'It sure is nice to have someone wish me goodnight... It's been such a long time...' Ema dozed off and slept off most of her fever.  
A quiet knock out in the hallway woke Ema up. When she opened her door, she saw a push cart full of food and gifts, as well as Kaname walking away. "Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" Kaname asked. "Oh, eh... no," Ema replied. "This is just a little gift from all of us." Kaname pushed the cart into her as she admired all of new brothers' gifts. "Thanks Kaname, that's sweet." Ema smiled up to her new brother. "Why don't you call me brother?" Kaname smiled down at her flustered reaction. "Oh, brother... right." Ema shyly responded. "It sounds lovely coming from your lips..." Kaname's words made her blush red. She was beginning to remember her first thoughts of her older brother and how his generous comments were making her heart flutter. Kaname gave her a happy sigh and asked if she was feeling any better. Ema replied that she was no longer dizzy so she was going to go take her bath now before heading to bed for the night.  
"Would it help you sleep better if your big brother slept next to you?" Kaname asked. Ema was speechless. 'Is he hitting on me?' She wondered. Before she could mutter a sound, Kaname interrupted her thoughts, "I ask because I thought you might be scared. Moving away from your home into a new one with all your new brothers. I just thought I'd offer. If you ever get scared or need anything, let me know. I'm always here for you baby sis." Kaname's words were kind, and Ema did appreciate his concern. "No, but thank you. It does mean a lot to me..." Ema gasped suddenly as Kaname placed his hand under her chin. "Me too. Have a good night my dear." Kaname closed in on Ema to place a warm, gentle kiss on her cheek, although Ema could have sworn that he was about to kiss her on the lips. He smiled down to her and walked away.  
Ema felt her body warming up just from the shock. 'This is silly. He's my brother now. He wouldn't really try to kiss me... Would he?' Ema shook her head hard and went back into her room to get her bathroom supplies. 'Maybe a warm bath will relax me enough to fall asleep quickly tonight,' as she headed for the fifth floor bathroom.

As unlikely as Kaname's offer was, he was surprised to see Ema had knocked on his door sometime later that night. She was in a panicked state and asked if it was ok to stay here for a little while. At first, Kaname was amused to see her actually outside his door after his kiss goodnight, but snapped out of it when he saw her panicking and breathing hard. His cheerful smirk faded to a sturn stare. "Ema, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Kaname's voice lost it's carefree tone as he stared down into her chocolate brown eyes. "Can I come in?" She asked again, sounding more urgent while looking side to side. Kaname bowed his head and gestured for her to enter. From what he could observe, she was in her pajamas carrying her bathroom toiletries. Her hair and her towel were both still dry. Ema had had a fever earlier that day, but the flush of her cheeks were far too red to be just that. His monk skills of observation made everything click into place.  
Kaname shut the door quietly behind her and gave her a minute to calm her nerves. "I'm guessing either you or one of my brothers were using the bath when you walked into each other." "Amongst other things," Ema blushed recalling Tsubaki and Azusa reading their script out loud. "Well then, you've had quite an exciting first day, huh?" Kaname joked. He could tell from her reaction that she was a little shaken, but nothing bad had happened. He gave a sigh of relief and smiled warmly at her as he watched her look around his bedroom. Kaname's room had seemed pretty empty at first. He had a plain desk and chair, a bed and a few scattered decorations. Ema approached a miniature Buddist alter with a Buddha statue, a tiny bamboo fountain, and incense burners on his desk. She smiled warmly down at the display as she could feel her panic leaving her.  
I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you, but you can share my bed until you feel comfortable enough to head back to your room." Ema's head snapped back to Kaname's face, showing her horror. "W-What?!" Kaname chuckled at her. "There's no reason to be terrified of me, my dear. I promise to hold you close as you drift into beautiful dreams. I will keep you safe and warm." Ema's instincts should be telling her to run for the hills, but something about his tone of voice and the way he was looking at her were both gentle and calming. Ema knew she shouldn't, but she trusted Kaname. With a heavy sigh and a deep reddening of her cheeks, she nodded.  
Kaname laid down first, his back against the wall, after he turned off the lights. His blinds were left slightly open to let the moonlight in. Ema watched as he laid down on his side, leaving an outstretched arm to be her pillow. The moonlight sparkled in his warm, welcoming eyes and his hair shown like the stars in the darkness of the room. Ema tried to quel her beating heart as she gathered up her courage and laid down. "Goodnight and sweet dreams my dear," Kaname whispered in her ear as his other arm wrapped around her waist. He had laid a kiss on the back of her head and shifted slighty to go to bed. Ema closed her eyes and wrapped her arms over her chest and tried to fall asleep. With the strange warmth and comfort Ema felt being next to Kaname, she fell asleep rather quickly. Ema awoke when the morning sun started to shine through the blinds. A warm body was pressed against her back and a strong arm was holding her tightly. She suddenly remembered where she was. Kaname's hot breath brushed against the back of her neck, causing her to shiver for more then one reason. He was true to his word and never overstepped her comfort. Ema blushed, thinking that she was glad that her older brother was kind enough to let her stay this long. She needed to head back to her room to get ready for school soon. She shuffled slightly to get out of bed, but Kaname's arm clung tightly to her, preventing her escape. As she was pressed closer to him, he unconciously spooned her in his sleep. It was then that Ema became extremely nervous, not only from the the position she was in, but that something was poking her in a back. 'Oh my!' Ema thought as the mysterious appendage more and more noticable. Kaname groaned slightly as he seemed to come to. "Mmm... Good morning my dear. Did you sleep well?" "Kaname, I... ah... need to go!" Ema didn't mean to vocally express her terror, but this was something she didn't know how to deal with. Kaname picked up on her fear, and before he could say anything, his morning wood twitched against her backside. He quickly release Ema from his hold and she sprang forward. She clenched her chest and didn't dare to turn around. Well, not until she heard Kaname chuckle quietly behind her.  
"I'm sorry sis, this doesn't really help you with your nervousness, now does it?" He laughed softly as his face turned red because of their perdicament. "Just a heads up to you my dear... I know that you didn't have any brothers growing up, but..." He paused at first to look away from Ema's eyes. "This is a common thing that happens to guys, even without a cute little thing like you sleeping next to them." Ema half blushed from the compliment and half from what they were discussing. "I'm sorry... It's just that I... I have to go!" Ema dashed out the door, leaving Kaname confused, but entertained. Ema ran faster then she ever had in her life to make it to her room and closed the door. She was lucky that none of her other brothers were awake or walking around. She plopped down on her bed hard and covered her face with her arm. Inside her head, she was arguing with two consciouses. One was beyond scared and vowed to never take an offer like Kaname's again. However she also was fighting her thoughts of what her older brother's body would look like nude.


	2. Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some time has past, the day of her father's wedding had arrived. All the brothers want to dance with her, but who will get the last dance?

Ema managed to fall back asleep somehow, because her alarm jolted her wide awake. Ema ate breakfast with a few of her brothers then rode on the subway train with Yuusuke, heading to school. When she returned home, she went to the kitchen to see if she could help make dinner tonight. Ukyo revealed to her that it was going to be Suburu's birthday this weekend, and that they were going to have a feast. Ema offered her help to get things ready. Ukyo asked if she'd make the birthday cake, which she was more than happy to make for the party. After all, she was a pro at cooking after being self-taught all those years on her own. She couldn't wait to show her brothers how happy she was to have a new family.  
After finishing the final touches, the cake needed to cool overnight in the refridgerator for the party tomorrow. Ema felt that she really put her all into the birthday cake. 'I might need to leave a note so that no one eats it before tomorrow. Ema placed a note on top, then headed to bed. Today had come and gone. Tomorrow, she'd get to have her very first sibling birthday party.  
Ukyo really did mean a feast. A beautiful assortment of food lay across the table as Ema helped Ukyo set the table for everyone. When she revealed the birthday cake, almost all the brothers complimented on how beautiful and tasty it looked. Well... Almost everyone. Yuusuke was acting weird. Saying that because she made this cake for Suburu, that he couldn't eat it. Tsubaki butted in saying that he'd be more then happy to eat his share, because this cake was made with all of Ema's love. Azusa told Tsubaki to cut it out. "Yessir!" Tsubaki teased. "But it looks like the birthday boy over there is in no shape to enjoy it..." Tsubaki stated aloud. Ema then looked at her brother as he mumbled, "Um... No. I..." "Is something wrong?" Ema asked. "Don't worry about him." Kaname said. "it's not like he's sick or something... Well... It's a kind of illness." "What?" Ema asked. "The kind that there's no cure for, but you know... I suffer from the same illness too." Kaname then wrapped his arm aroud her to pull Ema close. "And if it's at all possible, I'd prefer to have this particular illness for the rest of my life..." Iori grabbed Kaname's arm and told him that he was embarrassing Ema. "My apologies my dear." Kaname replied and then left her side to sit at the table for dinner. Ema seated herself between Kaname and Wataru to take pictures of Suburu blowing out his birthday candles. Tsubaki and Yuusuke were still fighting over Yuusuke's slice of cake when Yuusuke shoveled it into his mouth. Ema was going to take a picture Suburu, when she saw that he still looked upset. "I hope you like your birthday cake." Ema wondered. "Umm... Yeah. Thanks." "Well, isn't that cute, he likes what you made." Kaname commented next to her. "Yeah," Ema smiled. 'I'm really glad that they like my cake. And it looks like everyone is having a good time. I'm so glad.'  
Ema went back to her room to look through all the birthday photos she took on her phone. Aside from Suburu, everyone was having a blast. 'I'm so glad that I have family to spend birthdays and holidays with.' Clicking through the pictures, she got one just of Kaname. He smiled warmly for the camera that even his eyes sparkled with joy. Ema was so caught up staring at Kaname's picture that she didn't even realize an hour had gone by since she left the party. 'This is silly. He's my brother.' Ema placed a hand over her chest to feel her heartbeat racing. 'I shouldn't have these feelings for Kaname... But...' Ema looked at his picture again and smiled shyly as she placed a finger on Kaname's lips. She shook herself to clear her thoughts as she got ready for bed.  
After asking Yuusuke what she should do about the parent/teacher meeting coming up, she was told just to add Masaomi. For the first time, Ema was actually happy for the parent/teacher meetings. The next day, both Ema and Yuusuke waited for Masaomi to arrive. The teacher suggested that they have the meeting together since the guardian was the same person for the both of them. Plus they could save some of Masaomi's time, being that he was a doctor and all. Suddenly, the door flew open to reveal that it wasn't Masaomi, but Kaname that arrived. "Hello! Please allow me to thank you for looking after my dilenquent of a brother and adorable little sister." Ema blushed bright red while Yuusuke got out of his seat. "What are you doing here?!" "Masaomi had a medical emergency and I happened to be free, so here I am." Kaname replied. Kaname commented and teased both Yuusuke and Ema about their college choices. Yuusuke outright shouted that he was going to whatever school Ema was aiming for. After some bickering, the teacher announced that the meeting was over and they could go. Kaname winked at Ema and she quickly turned her face away before Kaname could see the reddening of her cheeks. 

Finally, it was the day of the wedding. Ema had received a dress to wear at the reception from both her father and new step-mother. It was truly a beautiful day for a wedding. All of the Asahina brothers were present to share in the union of their two families joining together. Ema made sure to take lots of photos. "I'm so happy for you two!" Ema said as she gave her father a big hug. "Thank you dearest, I hope you are enjoying your stay with your new family." "Of course. I love them and I'm so happy that we're going to be one big, happy family." She hugged her father again as he went to cut the wedding cake with his new wife.  
As Ema was taking pictures, she lined up a shot to see Suburu. His expression still looked upset. Ema lowered her lense when she saw him approach her. "Can we talk?" Suburu asked. "Umm, sure." They found a place not crowded by the wedding guests to talk. Suburu tried to apologize for all that had happened between them since she moved in. Ema tried to reassure him that everything was fine. Suburu seemed to accept her answer and left to rejoin the wedding crowd. Ema, however, felt flustered and confused.  
When Ema returned, her step-mother, Miwa, was about to toss the wedding bouquet. Ema didn't really know what was going on until something landed perfectly in her hands. Realizing what it was, her head shot up to her step-mother on the balcony. Miwa winked down at her with a warm smile. Ema blushed extra red when she realized what happened and that everyone was staring at her. Even all of her new brothers were staring at her with a variety of different looks on their faces. She ran.  
Ema had returned to the spot underneath the gazebo where she talked with Suburu. She hoped that she could hide her embarrassment from the wedding crowd here. She started to calm down under the gazebo's roof while she felt a sweet, cool breeze brush across her red cheeks.  
"You look so radiant my dear, your blush almost matches your gown..." Ema turned to see Kaname approaching. Her eyes widened as she admired his suit. It fit him perfectly. He wore a light purple shirt with dark purple ascot scarf. It reminded her of the sash he wore when she first met him in his monk robes. He was so... Handsome.  
Kaname must have felt her checking him out and did a playful spin to show off his suit. "What do you think? Do I look good in a suit?" Ema started nodding before she realized her mouth was still hanging open. "You know my dear, the others were starting to get worried about you. You dissappeared after the bouquet toss, and no one knew where you ran off to." "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone," Ema apologized. "Not to worry, my dear. You are found, safe and sound." Kaname winked. "However I was wondering why you ran off. Are you embarrassed to be the next bride to be?" Ema jumped a little at 'bride.' "There's nothing for you to be afraid of my dear. You should be happy. You will someday share your life with someone that will make you smile and love you just the way you are. Very few people get such a blessing these days, and if it helps you feel better, I will offer a prayer on your behalf personally." Ema smiled, knowing that Kaname had cheered her up. "Thank you, that's very kind..." Ema noticed tears starting to fill her eyes and tried to wipe them away. Kaname's face froze. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. You can tell me anything. I'm always here for you..." Ema smiled again and shook her head at Kaname's shock. "No, really. It's ok. I'm not crying because I'm sad..." Ema sat down under the gazebo while Kaname joined her.  
"You've heard that my dad travels alot for work, right? Growing up wasn't easy, Oh! But I don't blame him. It just... It was lonely. But now, I have an all new family to love and care for. It's more then I could have dreamed of. I'm so happy to have so many people around that care about me." Ema paused as she looked down at the wedding bouquet with a quiet, sad smile. "It was a shock that this ended up in my arms... I mean, I wasn't really paying attention..." Kaname looked down at the bouquet, then back up to her eyes. "Something distracted you? It must be big if a teenage girl didn't intend on getting the bride's bouquet." Ema explained that the night she came to his room was because of Suburu in the bathroom. Ever since then, Suburu had seemed upset with her. That and his apology was a little awkward. Kaname started to chuckle softly, "Well that does explain alot about you two. I'll keep it a secret, I promise." Thank you Kaname for that and for coming to get me. I think I'm ready to head back now." Ema started to stand when Kaname's strong hand held her by the wrist as he closed in to kiss her. Ema's eyes shot wide open and she couldn't move. Her conflicting thoughts kept her mind pinned in place. Kaname's lips were warm and soft, and his kiss gentle but forceful. She heard him hum just before he broke the kiss. He got up and started to walk away when he turned back to her. "I'm sorry about that, my dear. I had orginally come to ask you if you'd share a dance with me. I'll let you decide in privacy." Then he walked away.  
Ema's lips pulsed with lightning from Kaname's kiss. 'My first kiss...' She mumbled to herself. As if by magic, her legs started to walk on their own accord, back to the reception party. She saw her father and step-mother finishing their first dance. Her father waved her over and she approached him. "My dear, you sure do look happy..." Ema shook her head hard when she realized that she wore a kind of goofy smile ever since Kaname had kissed her. "I'm... I'm just so happy for you two..." She suddenly stuttered. Her father gazed down into her eyes with a compassionate smile and started to lead her in the father/daughter dance. As she circled and spun, her mind was miles away. Her eyes suddenly sot out Kaname. He was leaning against a pillar, watching her dance. He winked at her when their eyes met. Ema, suddenly remembering she was dancing with her father, had stepped out of place and landed on his foot. "Oh! I'm sorry dad. I guess I'm not that good of a dancer..." Her father grinned. "Or someone has got your attention." "What?!" No... Well... I am the only girl here, and I think my new brothers want to dance with me." "I can't blame them, my dear. You are quite radiant..." "Dad!" He chuckled as he left the dancefloor. The brother horde approached her, each requesting that she dance with them. Some were even playing Paper/Rock/Scissors to decide the dancing order. She quickly took Wataru's hand and left her crowd of brothers to fight for the order in which to dance with her.  
Ema noticed however that she couldn't find Kaname anywhere. Inside, she wanted to run all over to search for him, but she stopped herself. Her attention was supposed to be on her other brothers, not Kaname. Dance after dance, Ema couldn't help but look for Kaname, but alas, he remained hidden. Some of her dances with her brothers were nice and normal, others were rowdy and energentic. However, two were just awkward... Yuusuke and Suburu. They ended up at the end of the dance list, but they never the less did dance with her, but not looking at her. Yuusuke seemed annoyed and Suburu was completely silent.  
After Suburu muttered a 'thank you,' and walked away, Ema turned to return to her table when she bumped head first into Kaname's chest. He held her shoulders steady so she could regain her balance. "I'm so sorry..." Ema peered into his beautiful brown eyes and couldn't speak. They both were just staring at each other. Ema could still feel his kiss on her lips, and her body was screaming at her to close in the distance between them for another kiss. Kaname spun her hard and planted her firm against his chest when he started to dance. He whispered into her ear, "I know that look my dear, but I don't think the crowd would approve..." Ema gasped blushed bright red. Kaname laughed out loud and took the lead until the song was over. He let go of Ema and bowed to her. "Thank you for the dance, my dear. However, I am afraid that I must leave you now." He made sure that his brothers could hear him. Kaname winked and smiled warmly at Ema. "Enjoy the rest of your night, my dear." He left Ema on the dance floor, stunned and flushed.


	3. Family photos and fear

It had been quite some time since Ema saw Kaname again. He had left on a retreat with his temple and hadn't been around for months. Ema and Yuusuke were starting their senior year in school. They had been put in charge of the entrance ceremony greetings for the first year high school students. Their brother Futo was joining them, making a scene like he always did.  
That night, Ema shared the photos she took with all of her brothers, even Kaname was there sitting beside her. He watched as she clicked through the shots she had taken and commended her on her artistic style. Kaname leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You know, I'll be your artist model anytime. If it's just you, me, and the camera, I can go nude as long as its tasteful..." Ema gasped quietly, remembering her fantizing about just that. She quickly showed Masaomi the photos, trying hard not to look at Kaname. She received numerous compliments from her other brothers as she passed around her phone. The comments sparked an idea for printing out some of the entrance ceremony, cherry blossom, and wedding photos to display. "That would be a great idea, I think we might still have some of mom's old frames around here somewhere..." Masaomi replied. Masaomi got up and started searching in a closet in the living area. Sure enough, there were some frames her step mother had left behind. "Hey! Look what else is in here," Masaomi smiled as his arms were stuffed with photo albums. Ema gleefully looked through them all, selecting a few to copy an print with her phone's photos. Although she loved all of the pictures, she had to force herself to pay the same amount of attention to Kaname's pictures as her other brothers. However, a younger photo of Kaname caught her eye. She gently caressed the image with a gentle touch. For that second, Kaname caught her smiling slightly more so at that photo of him, them any of his brothers.

A sudden series of knocks sounded through Kaname's door. He glanced at his clock and quietly cursed at the time. Sleepily, he dressed and opened his door. "What's up lil sis? Did something happen?" Kaname said when he saw her near tears and shaking outside his door. "Kaname... I... I was so..." Kaname might have hoped that Ema would come to his room one night, but not scared and shaking with fright. He ushered her in by holding her shoulders and directing her to sit down on the edge of his bed. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, allowing her to lay her head on his side in a supportive embrace. "Tell me what happened..." Kaname stated rather then asked. His tone surprised himself. Ema squeezed into a ball and tried with all her might not to cry. "I can't..." She started. "Listen my dear, please tell me what happened and I will keep it a secret, I promise..." "I... Well, I guess so, but you have to promise me that you won't get involved, okay?" Ema's big, round eyes looked up into his, her fear and conflict mirroring deep within. Kaname embraced her tightly, he too started to shake from his own worry for her. "I promise Ema." Ema jolted her head up to meet his eyes again, a kind of happy shock on her face. 'That's the first time he called me by my name...' After a few seconds of searching his eyes, she nodded.  
She told Kaname about how she moved her picture project into the living area. She told him about Tsubaki, and how he had forced a kiss on her, then pinned her to the couch. Kaname could feel his heart beat thudding hard in his ears. He was going to kill his brother for this... Ema continued by explaining that Azusa had stopped his brother, scolded him and ordered him to return to his room. Azusa left shortly after, muttering that she should go before he became a hypocrit.  
Kaname realized why she asked him not to get involved. The matter was settled supposedly, but the shock she had experienced was something she had to tell someone in order for her to relax. "Ema, I humbly ask that you forgive my brothers. We all love you so much, but the younger ones don't know the right way to show it. I also will abide by your wishes and not get involved, as much as I would love to punch them dead in the face right now." He nervously chuckled, but it did seem to calm her nerves. "Thank you Kaname. Oh! Is that really the time?! I'm so sorry if I woke you up..." Kaname placed his pointer finger on her lips to quiet her. "Anytime, my dear. I will always be here for you baby sis." He placed a kiss on her forehead. As he backed away, Ema had that look in her eyes again. She slowly place a hand on his knees one at a time, and focused of his lips. He reached out to stroke her cheek, as he swallowed, he too gazing at her lips. She nuzzled his hand, accidently hummed a sigh of approval. That little sound awoke a beast deep inside of him, making him close the distance between them with a passion ridden kiss.  
Ema and Kaname's hands clung to each others' cheeks, intensifying their kiss. His kisses were more aggressive then her first kiss, causing Ema to fear that she couldn't keep up. Ema felt Kaname's hands lower to her shoulders and tried to lay her down on his bed. She blushed brightly and stuttered inbetween kisses, "Kaname... I... Wait." His kiss ended so abruptly, she looked up to see a look of horror on his beautiful face. "Ema... I'm so, so sorry! I'm no better then Tsubaki!" He turned his eyes away from her and gritted his teeth. "You might want to follow my younger brother's advice and head back to your room now..."  
Kaname stood up, leaving Ema on his bed, and gazed out his window at the cresent moon in the night sky. Out of no where, he bashed his fist on the side of the window frame. It made Ema jump. She had never seen Kaname like this. "Kaname, it's ok..." Ema said as she stood and walked over to him. "I was going to say that I do need to head to bed, but I... I really did enjoy the kisses..." Ema blushed so red, that the moonlight made her look pink. "I enjoyed it too... I couldn't wait to be home and kiss you again. However, I am at blame here." "Please don't say that. I mean, I did want to kiss you too." Ema was confused as to why he "blamed" himself.  
Listen, my dear. My temple teaching are strict. I have lead you into temptation, and I also caused you harm..." "What? No Kaname, I'm fine..." Kaname interrupted her, "No, Ema. You came to me. You trusted in me, but I did the very same thing that had you shaking with fear only a few minutes ago. I gave it to my desire and it hurt you in the end." Ema was surprised at his words. "Kaname... Please don't blame yourself." Ema placed a hand on Kaname's shoulder. She was surprised to feel that he was shaking, just like she had.  
"My sweet Ema, please know that I am in love with you, but it is a forbidden love. My faith deems it so." Ema was that he was gritting his teeth, but he also had a tear rolling down his cheek. "Kaname..." Ema placed her hands on his cheeks and steered him to look at her. "You can tell me anything, um... Big brother... I will always be here for you too." She smiled shyly back up into his eyes when he suddenly clung to her, burying his tears unto her shoulder. She held him quietly until he stopped shaking. Ema sighed after a bit, pulling back to look at Kaname's face. "Would you please explain all this to me?" Kaname didn't show his normal warm smile, but nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did a little research, and yes, monks can marry if their temple allows it. Only higher ranked monks though. I decided to turn this story a little dark, but there will be a light at the end, I promise.


	4. Sorrow and healing

"I was quite a trouble maker in my youth. Masaomi and Ukyo seemed to get all the attention from my father and mother. From a young age, Masaomi and Ukyo knew what they wanted to be growing up. So the family temple duties fell upon me. My need for direction as well as discipline seemed to qualify me to train as a monk at the temple my family joined. Little did my family know, it felt like they had given up on me as a son and sold me into slave labor. Well, that was what I was thinking as a ten year old boy anyway. Pray, clean, eat. Pray, clean, eat. All day. Everyday. It was hard work for a boy, and it didn't get any easier as a teenager. One of my temple leaders was an old flirtatious bastard. I may have disliked him personally, but our worshippers couldn't get enough of him. One night, a young woman tried to kiss me. It almost happened, but I was stopped suddenly, and beaten. My perversity had earned me more chores and every now and then, more beatings from this monk. The news of my punishments had reached the leader of the temple, in which he told me himself that the treatment was to better my understanding of my faith. However, my temple leader was a wise and kind man. After that day he took me under his wing and the beatings stopped. He explained things to me about my life in service to the temple and to it's people. As I grew older, my anger and sadness I had towards my family no longer burdened me. I started to return home, and play with all my brothers. As time rolled by, I tutored my new brothers in our temple beliefs, as well as made a few new friends with the other monks I grew up with. After my father's funeral, seeing my mother cry had broken all hatred and loathing I've ever had buried in my soul. That was when I knew that I would be happy praying for others' happiness for the rest of my life.  
Ema listened intently to him. She felt sorry that he had to live away from his family and for the harsh training he endured. She could relate a little with his loneliness, however... "You were beaten for attempting a kiss?!" "Yes. Intimacy is not allowed for the lower ranking monks at my temple." "Lower rank? So the others can..?" "Yes, my dear. They can play around, marry and have children. As long as they dedciate themselves to the temple. As for playing around however, we cannot cause harm. Just playful talking mostly..." Ema blushed a little, thinking of all the flirting he had done since they met. "You do flirt a lot, you know..." He sighed nonchalantly, "Heh, yes well... It's a service. People nowadays want attention, to feel special... Wanted. As long as the line isn't crossed, it's ok." "So when you were about to kiss that woman..?" "I crossed the line. She was a young daughter of a noble house. She was even betrothed. But she desired me and my body. For that attempted act, I was beaten until I couldn't stand." Ema covered her mouth in shock. 'How horrible, just to share a kiss?'  
Kaname interrupted her thoughts when he spoke, "I guess you are wondering how I could kiss you after something like that. Well my dear, it's because I didn't love her like I love you." Ema gasped aloud, blush covering her whole face. "I have trained myself not to fall in love, but you broke through those barriers like cannon fire. I cannot fall in love with you, not yet..." Ema looked confusedly at him, "Not yet?" "Please give me some time my dear, then I can be all yours..." 

Ema didn't understand what Kaname meant by giving him time, but she tried to distant herself from him. They'd meet occasionally and he'd flirt with her just as he always had. It made her feel awkward in a way, part of her saying she should tell him to stop, but deep down she understood that she "needed" to hear those words from him. She did feel wanted that way after all. She blushed something fierce when Kaname tasted the brewed tea she made at her school's butler/maid cafe. He commented that she must be driving all the guys crazy in that costume. Yuusuke just about blew a fuse.

Ema's life got a bit more complicated in the next few weeks, not including her final exams were right around the corner. All three of her triplet brothers had confessed their love for her, and kissed her. Tsubaki had confronted Ema when she returned from her school cafe, seeing the love "bite" Futo had left on her neck. Azusa did come to the rescue, but had collapsed from all the stress he was under and was sent to the hospital. When Ema had come to visit Azusa when he was feeling better, he too confessed to her and kissed her. Her last brother however didn't confess and kiss her until she received news that her father Rintaro, was her adopted father. Ema had experienced a pain so deep that she couldn't bring herself to burden the doors of her brothers home. Somehow Natsume knew where to find her. After spending the night at Natsume's apartment, Ema did feel a little better when she talked to her father. He told her that he adopted her because her real mother and father were dying. They asked him to care for her, which he did full heartedly.

Everyone back home was so worried for her. She apologized sincerely and assured them that things were okay now. Ukyo said that he was going to call the others to tell them that she was home safely, including Kaname. "Oh is Kaname not home?" Ema asked. "No he's not," Ukyo stated. "When you didn't come home last night, the whole family was in a panic. Masaomi called all the hospitals, Yuusuke went to your school, and the triplets searched the streets for you." Ukyo could tell that she felt bad, but noted that he and Wataru waited at home, just in case of her return. 'Poor Wataru, I bet he didn't sleep at all last night.' "As for Kaname, I think he went to his temple. I've never seen him so scared..." Ukyo left her with these words as he started to dial.

Ema went to her room feeling guilty for all her brothers' worries. 'Maybe at dinner tonight I'll apologize and explain what happened.' She looked around her room at the framed photos she printed out of her family. All the smiles reminded her that she loved her family very much, even if she wasn't related to Rintaro. Her family loved and cared for her. Nothing would change that. A couple gentle knocks sounded through her door. When she opened her door, someone pounced on her, their arms wrapped around her tightly. Before she fully realized it was Kaname, she recognized his smell. The smell of temple wood polish and incense. "I was so worried..." He mumbled into the nape of her neck, causing goosebumps. "I'm so sorry Kaname. I... I just didn't know what to do." He raised his head and looked into her eyes, "Please, my dear. Tell me what happened to you that you chose not to come home?!" "I will, at dinner. I promise." Kaname gave an exhausted sigh, but nodded. "Very well, but I want to show you something after dinner, okay?" Ema smiled warmly, "Sure, of course."


	5. Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode in the anime involves Kaname and Ema reacting a lot more then the other episodes. I added some tweeks to it, but after this chapter I will be writing far more of my ideas for this cute couple.

Ema's brothers were all so relieved to see her home safe and sound. She explained at dinner what had happened. It was a bit hard to talk about, but when she saw her brothers' happy faces, it trult warmed her heart. As Kaname promised, right after dinner he started passing out his new "Club Buddha" business card to everyone. He told them that his temple was in charge of a festival tomorrow and wanted to invite them all to come celebrate. He bent down to Ema's ear, "I'll chant by your bedside all night long... Big Buddha lovin' until the sun comes up. Why don't we slip into Nirvana together..."  
"You can be a man of faith or a gentleman of the night, but you can't be both at the same time!" Ukyo shouted as he swung a cooking pan at Kaname's head. "Take that you perv!"  
"The festivals' legit! We've got the state of approval from the head temple. It's all on the level, I swear!" Kaname cried out while rubbing the back of his head. Masaomi stepped in defense of Kaname's idea since the summer trip idea fell through. Masaomi backed Kaname's idea and influenced the others to go as well.  
"Good idea Kaname!" Masaomi smiled. It was a rare sight to see Kaname blush from embarrassment.

Ema could feel the excitement in the air. This would be her first time visiting a festival! Plus she was going with her family, which made it so much more special to her. When she returned to her room, she got out her pink kimono to air it out. She had received it as a gift from her father during one of his adventures not too long ago. '...Father.' Ema thought. She hadn't talked to her father yet, even though Masaomi had told Rintaro that evening about his daughter. He texted her his apology for not telling her about it earlier, but he still wished to talk to her about it when he returned to Japan. Ema loved her dad and she loved her brothers. Just a little nagging thought in the back of her mind kept asking, "Why did my real parents not want me?"  
Before she started getting sad again, there was a quick rasp at her door.  
"Hey, lil' sis. Got a minute?" She heard Kaname ask through the door.  
"Coming..." Ema replied as she laid her kimono out on her bed, read to be packed for the trip in the morning.  
"Hey Kaname, what's up?" Ema was engulfed in Kaname's arms.  
"So I wanted to make sure you were going to come tomorrow with everyone."  
"Uh huh. I'll be there!" Kaname squeezed her just a little bit tighter before letting her go.  
"I'm very happy to hear that my dear. I, however, need to leave early to prepare for your arrival. I wanted to wish you a good night before I left." Kaname almost seemed giddy at the fact that she too was going to go.  
"Thank you Kaname. That's very sweet of you." Ema couldn't help but smile at the happy glint in his eyes. It almost felt like she was asked to go to a childs' play, and Kaname couldn't wait to show her the festivities.  
"I'll keep an eye out for you my dear, until then..." He reached to hold her cheek in his hand and kiss the other one. "Sweet dreams sis..."

After a hectic drive with Hikaru, Azusa, and Natsume, the group arrived at the festival grounds. Ukyo had decided to go get the summer home ready while they were out enjoying the festival. Everyone went about the festival on their own except for Wataru, who clung to Ema's arm. Wataru started to feel ill after had he finished his third snow cone of the evening. Ema was waiting for Wataru outside the restrooms. Ema took a moment to enjoy the sweet evening air. She had felt bad for Wataru, but she was still so very happy to be here at her first festival. Ema's thought's were interrupted by a handsome young man asking her what was the matter.  
"You couldn't find any nice boys? What about me then?" Ema stuttered her response until she saw the 'Club Buddha' fan in the young mans' hand.  
"Oh! You must work with Kaname!" Out of nowhere, Kaname appeared.  
"There you are! I'm so glad you made it!" Kaname smiled at Ema.  
"Hey man, don't tell me she's one of your customers..." The young man asked.  
"No, Chii. This young lady is my sister."  
"It's nice to meet you..." Ema muttered nervously.  
"Well, it's nice to meet the little sister that Kaname is so proud of," Chii said.  
"It's true! The adorable little sister I'm so proud of..." Kaname stated. A third young man from the 'Club Buddha' card interrupted Kaname and Chii, introducing himself as Rissei.  
"Well I came to find you two. You both double booked your next clients. Better get moving." Kaname and Chii both moved with haste, apologizing to Ema as they left her to the festival.  
"I hope they'll be ok..." Ema said her wish aloud.  
"They'll be just fine... You know, when Kaname found out about you, he was beyond excited." Rissei seemed to study her for a second before continuing.  
"Must be hard to put on the 'good sister' act."  
"What!?" Ema had no idea to what he was implying.  
"I'm a monk, I pick up on this stuff. Peoples' troubles and whatnot... The thing is, it doesn't matter who you are, we are all the same. We're all troubled by this human nature known as 'Love.' There's no point in trying to run away from it, but instead, just be yourself and confront it." Ema blushed at the monk's advice. She had been running away from Kaname's affections even though she did genuinely love him back.  
"Sis!"  
"Hey Wataru! Feeling any better?"  
"Yep! A-Okay!"  
"That's a relief."  
Rissei started to walk away when Wataru called out to her. "Well, it was nice to meet you. I wish you the best..." Ema's eyes followed Rissei until he was out of sight.

Later that night, everyone met back up at the summer home. "So are we driving you crazy yet lil' lady?" Hikaru asked Ema sarcastically while eyeing his brothers around the table. "Not yet," Ema chuckled. Everyone went to their rooms for the night, but Ema wanted to enjoy the beautiful country stars before heading to bed. Rissei's words seemed to push her forward slightly but she felt she needed to plan on how to tell Kaname how she felt.  
"Trouble sleeping?" A soft voice asked from behind her. She turned to see Kaname approaching her on the balcony. 'Oh boy... I'm not sure I'm ready yet,' She thought as Kaname stopped next to her, staring up at the stars.  
"Hey Kaname. I was just admiring these beautiful stars. You don't get to see them like this in the city."  
"No, you sure don't," Kaname agreed.  
"Thank you," Ema started. "I really appreciate you inviting me to the festival today... I... I needed a distraction." For some reason, Ema started to shake a little, but it wasn't from the the cool night air.  
"It meant alot to me that you were here today, but... How about a tiny favor in return?" Kaname wrapped his arms around Ema so that he could look into her eyes. Ema gasped aloud in his arms and her shaking became noticeable. "Let me hold you and comfort you for a little while."  
Ema didn't feel ready to discuss her situation about her father at the moment, but she was distracted by a tattoo on Kaname's chest she hadn't seen before. 'Was that tattoo always there?' She wondered, shyly reaching out to touch it. She had never seen Kaname wear such a loose robe before, was the tattoo covered all this time?  
"Is that a sword?" Ema asked as her pointer finger lightly traced the outline of the tattoo.  
"Yeah. Have you ever heard the phrase, 'the pen is mightier then the sword?' It means that in the end, words will always transend violence. However, there's something even more powerful out there. Do you know what it is?" Kaname asked looking down into Ema's chocolate brown eyes. She shook her head and blushed. "That thing is love." Kaname bent down to kiss her very gently on the lips. Ema braced herself as her self control was fading, however she was shocked when Kaname ended the kiss quickly.  
"You thanked me for inviting you today, but I should be the one thanking you. You're precious to me, and I hope you know just how much you mean to us all." With that, Kaname left Ema on the balcony speechless under the moonlit night sky.


	6. Being Tested

Sometime after the temple festival, Ema had taken a mock test for her college entrance exams... And bombed them. Ema felt like she had let everyone down that supported her, and had almost regretted spending time at the festival Kaname prepared instead of studying. Almost. She heaves a heavy sigh as she makes her way down to the kitchen. Suprisingly, her brothers had beaten her to making dinner for the night. Wataru explains that they all just wanted her to cheer her up. Wataru quickly gives her a couple reward cards including a 100 smooches card. Yuusuke ends up spitting out his tea in response. Yuusuke tries to encourage Ema that since he is working really hard to get into her first choice college with her, that they can work at it together.

Ema starts to feel better as she lays down for the night. "It sure is nice to have so many loving brothers here to cheer me on..." Ema's mind starts to wonder about Kaname. She had not seen him since the night of the festival. Was he distancing himself from her because he's a distraction? In the morning, Ema asks Ukyo about Kaname's whereabouts. He smiles warmly down at her as she tries to hide her blush. "There's no need to worry. He's been spending time at his temple praying for your success. Although I have heard that he will be training abroad soon, but I'm sure he'll come to say goodbye before he leaves." Ema nods sheepishly and mumbles a thank you as she leaves for another day of school. The day of the real entrance exams were drawing closer, but still Kaname didn't return home.

*****  
Ema decides that she needs to go get some free air, after being stuck in her room waiting for the exam scores to be released. She breathes in deeply, enjoying the cool air and gently sighs as her thoughts once again turn to Kaname. 'I am glad that he has been praying for me, but now that my exams are done, there's so much that is going to be happening. Even if I don't make it to Suburu's school, my alternative school still offers my major.' Ema thinks about the possibilty that she'd have to move into the dorms once she attends college. That thought makes her heart ache. 'I just got this wonderful new family to help and care for me, it would be a shame if I had to move away from them now.'  
Ema lets out a heavy sigh, only to quickly intake breath as Kaname sneaks up behind her. "What a beautiful sigh... Why don't you tell me why you sighed like that?" Kaname was almost touching her nose with his own. Ema blushes beet red and starts to explain about being nervous about her test scores. "Gotcha. Well may I offer you a bit of advice? It is best to just live day to day and not worry about the past. You will know soon enough and then you can worry, or plan for your future." Kaname backs away from Ema's face, smiling warmly down at her. "Ukyo told me that you had been praying for me, thank you Kaname." "Hmmm..." He closes his eyes with a large smile. He turns to walk back to the house, but peeks over his shoulder at her, "But you know, if all else fails, you can always stay at my place. How does that sound?" Ema shakes her head vigorously replying that that won't be necessary." Kaname shrugs and asks her to not spend too much time outside or she will catch a chill as he leaves her to her thoughts once again.

Ema sighs again, thinking about her response. Sure she was going to be going to college, but would it really be so bad to stay here... Or even at Kaname's place. Her face flushed as she thought about getting ready for school and Kaname giving her a goodbye kiss everyday. She really hadn't given into the possibility that she and Kaname could be a couple. Sure he had stolen a few kisses from her, and they had felt like lightning. She had even spent a night in his room when she first moved in. She had been naive to the way her brothers were falling for her one by one. However, that moment when she saw Kaname for the first time, her heart stopped. 'But Ukyo said he's going to go away for a while for further training. I wonder why? Why now?' Ema senses a shiver from the afternoon air starting to cool her down. 'I guess I'll just have to take his advice for now and wait for my test results before I do any further planning.' Ema wraps her coat tightly around her as she makes way back to the house.

Finally the day has arrived. Ema was so nervous that she is having trouble looking for her number. Out of no where, Yuusuke holds her shoulder and exclaims that she made it as he points to her numbers. She thanks Yuusuke and tries to find his numbers... Nothing. "Oh well, doesn't look like I made it, heh..." Yuusuke tries to act like this doesn't affect him, but Ema can see right through that.  
In her room, she tries to understand why Yuusuke searched for her number first? Was he just trying to be considerate because he already knew he wasn't on the list? A knock at the door snaps Ema from her thoughts. "My darling, do you have a minute?" Came Kaname's voice through the door. Almost too excitedly, Ema races toward her door to open it. She is swept up into Kaname's arms. He congradulates her through a loving embrace. "I wanted to tell you that I'll be going away for a while." "Oh, yeah. Ukyo had told me earlier. For more temple training?" "Yeah, funny story there..."  
Kaname starts as he runs his hand over his head. 'Is he embarrassed about something?' Ema studied his face and sure enough he was blushing... "Yeah, I ah, I need to go away for a while for further training at the temple..." Ema is surprised at Kaname's behavior. Did he do something wrong and is going to be punished? Ema face starts to show her fear, and Kaname stands upright.  
"Yeah well I'm going in for more training because I need to overcome a worldly desire..." "A worldly desire? For what? Are you getting punished for something you didn't do again?!" Ema's fear eeps out as she stares up into Kaname's eyes, searching for understanding. Kaname breathes a heavy sigh, "In a since yes. I have been tempted and have possibly hurt someone dear to me, and so I must atone for my sins." "From what Kaname?" Ema reaches out and places her hands on Kaname's chest. This time, his eyes shone with true admiration as he gazed down at her. "I need to overcome my worldly desire... For you sis." Ema just stares at Kaname, just like a deer in headlights. All she can squeak out is, "Why?"  
"My dear, I have been attending the family temple for a long time now. It's all I have ever known. My elders are starting to doubt my dedication." "But," Ema interrupts him, "All the flirting and your customers... They didn't think anything was wrong with that. So why does this matter to them so much? Is it... Is it really because we are technically brother and sister?" Ema doesn't realize that her eyes had filled to the brim and a stray tear fell down her cheek. Kaname brushes her cheek softly with his thumb, wiping away her tear. "Ema, my darling... Do you have feelings for me? Do you feel the same way I feel for you?" Kaname still holds Ema's face in his warm, large hand. Ema looks straight up at him, more tears flowing down her pale cheeks. "...Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it has been while since I last posted. Life, work and holidays are keeping me busy. Not only that but a cold too :P I'm working on the next chapter and hope to post it very soon. Thank you for reading *^,^*


	7. What the future holds

Kaname and Ema held each other in a tight embrace, both resting their chins on each others shoulders. Ema's tears still flowed down her cheeks, dampening Kaname's purple sash. They had been embracing for only a few seconds, but neither wanted to break contact. Ema had finally told Kaname that she had feelings for him. Ema couldn't help the feeling deep in her gut that she was to blame for Kaname's desire, and future punishment. Kaname shifts slightly from their embrace, but Ema can feel his warm lips pressing a kiss at the base of her neck. She gasps aloud, unable to hide it because of her sobbing. "I love you..." Kaname whispers, his warm breath brushing her ear as he breaks the hold. He looks down at Ema with eyes shining with joy. "Are they really going to hurt you?" Ema trailed off. Guilt was tearing at her gut. Kaname closes his eyes and sighs gently. "Well, I am being punished because I fell in love with you. After all I started this, I should have just stayed 'your brother.'" "But that's not at all what happened. I mean... I..." Ema stuttered. Kaname gently places a hand on her tear soaked cheek, and whispers, "Oh? So what really happened then?" Kaname stepped in closer so that they were sharing the same air as her breathing hastened.  
"I... I've loved you... Ever since I first saw you..." Ema's eyes were as big as saucers as she confessed. Kaname's smile shone radiantly like the sun. He held both her cheeks as he closed in to kiss her. This kiss was emanating with his love for her, making her knees weak. "Love at first sight, huh?" Kaname teased. Ema then blurts out, "So you see, you can't be punished." Kaname looked at her slightly in shock, then laughed out loud. "Oh my dear, is that why you are crying so?" He takes his purple sash and wipes the remaining tears from her cheeks. "Well, I can always tell them you hit on me first, heh." Kaname joked, trying to snap Ema out of her sadness.  
He held her hand and led her to sit on the edge of her bed. He bent down to kiss her forehead before sitting beside her. "Do you still have to go?.." Ema whispered as she almost started crying all over again. "No. No my dear. My partners would be willing to approach the temple leader to explain our 'special' situation. Heh, I now owe Chii a day of his chores." Ema calmed down and clung to Kamane's hand as they sat on her bed. 'Her bed...' Ema was suddenly aware. It was getting rather late, but she didn't have to go to school tomorrow. Her other brothers must have gone to bed a while ago. Well, except for Kaname. "Kaname..?" Ema asked. She could feel his hand squeeze hers as a response as he hummed. "Will you stay with me a little longer?" Kaname's hand left hers as he stood up. He walked over to her light switch, turning it off and leaving them both in the cool moonlit room. "I will do anything for you, my dear." He laid her back on her bed so that he could hover over her and place a kiss on her lips. Ema didn't resist any of his hints to move her. She trusted Kaname. She loved him.  
Kaname started to remove his monk garments as Ema watched him from her place on the bed. It almost felt naughty, but she couldn't help studying his chiseled body in the pale moonlight. He neatly folded his robes and sash, then placed them on the top of her dresser. The whole time, Kaname kept his eyes closed and back to her all the while smiling to himself. All that remained were his pale blue boxer briefs loosely fitting his firm hips. Ema had been in her PJs since after dinner: A loose fitted button up shirt and shorts. However, she didn't put on any undergarments. Realizing this now, she started breathing faster in embarrassment. Kaname approached her, admiring how truly adorable she looked up at him. Her chest was heaving fast and her eyes were swollen from her earlier tears as they stared up at him with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Kaname sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted to make this night worth remembering, but he was willing to do whatever she desired. "So, what shall we do now, my dear?" Kaname's voice always hinted with seduction, and Ema blushed red as she stared up at him. "Could... could you hold me like you did before?" Kaname smiled warmly at her. He bent down to kiss her lips, before climbing over her very slowly to settle on her side next to the wall. Ema shifted to her side and lifted her head so Kaname's arm could replace her pillow. Kaname nestled his face onto her shoulder, then wrapped his arm just above her hip bone.  
"Is there any other requests you will have of me my dear?" Kaname whispered as he brushed his mouth over her earlobe. Ema cried out softly, unintentionally bucking her hips back into his. Kaname held onto her hips tightly, not quite sure if he was stopping her from moving or to cling closer to her. Ema's breath hiked up, and Kaname could feel her chest rise and fall in quick panting breaths. "Do you wish for me to leave you be?" Kaname asked, noting that she didn't respond from his last question. Kaname rolled just above her to see if she was afraid. But all he saw was her captivating beauty underneath him.  
"Kaname..." She breathed. "Do you want...? I mean, is this ok? For you to be... with me... like this?" Kaname smiled at her warmly. "You have absolved me of any wrong-doing, and for that, I will do anything you wish." "But... I mean... Do you think we...?" Ema seemed to be battling what she wanted versus what was best for Kaname. Kaname closed in closer to her that he touched noses with her. "If you wish for me to leave and never bother you again, then I would. If you wish for me to just lay here with you until you fall asleep, I would. If you wish to have me, I am all yours..." Kaname kissed her tenderly, feeling her arms wrap around him, and pressing him closer. When he left her lips she looked up at him innocently. "I know that there are a lot of things that could happen in the future for us, but right now I just want to be here with you." Ema replied. Kaname nodded and then lowered down to kiss her sweet lips once again. Ema wrapped her arms tightly around Kaname as she kissed him back with all the love she had for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post something after all this time. I'm hoping that the next chapter will be up to my readers expectations, since this is my first shot at "First time" writing. I really do love this couple and I want it to be just right. *^.^*


	8. Nirvana

Both were enthralled by each others' passion that they fought for dominance within their kiss. Ema's bed wasn't very large, but Kaname was able to roll her on top of him while still vigorously kissing her. She rolled back the other direction because she didn't want to roll off her bed, and that she liked the way his weight pressed down on her. "Feisty one tonight, aren't we..?" Kaname teased. During their kiss, Ema could feel Kaname's tongue gently brush against hers in her mouth. It felt strange at first. Ema made a little squeak at the french kiss, causing Kaname to stop and stare down at her. She gently brushed her lips as she blushed, looking up into his beautiful brown eyes. "Is something the matter, my dear?" Kaname asked, actually sounding out of breath. "No. Heh. It's just that... You have given me both my first kiss and my first french kiss..." She tried looking away from Kaname's eyes hovering over her. He smiled warmly, brushing her very red cheeks with one free hand. "My dear, if you would grant me this wish, I would like to someday be your first at everything..." Ema turned her gaze back up at Kaname's hovering body, gasping shyly. "However, my dear Ema... Tonight, I wish to worship your body. I do not intend to defile your temple tonight, but please allow me to show you just how much I love you..." Kaname bent down to brush her cheek with his lips. Kaname's lips nibbled gently at her earlobe, and Ema bucked. Ema had no idea why, but that bite made her lower half very hot and melty. She gasped Kaname's name out loud by accident. Kaname's hum could be heard in her ear, and shortly after a soft chuckle. "Hearing you say my name in a moment of passion sure is tempting..." Kaname moved his mouth down to the crook of her neck and nibbled to coax more outbursts from her swollen lips. "Ah..." Ema gasped, holding tight to Kaname.  
Suddenly he stopped all contact and stepped aside to stand alongside her bed. "Kaname, I... I'm sorry. I know I need to be quiet..." "No apology needed my dear. However I wanted to be able to see more of you. That is if you will allow me..." Kaname gently tugged on the collar of her PJs, hinting to what he desired. Kaname didn't know that Ema could blush any more red then she already had. There was a slightly drawn out silence as Kaname waited for Ema's answer. Kaname took her silence both as a 'no' and a 'stop.' "I see... I'm very sorry my dear. If I went too far then..." "NO!" Ema blurted out, stunning Kaname. Ema didn't want to admit it, but she took that moment of silence to admire her lover's body. Especially the bludge in his boxers... Ema stared straight up at Kaname's eyes as her hands shook to reach her first button on her shirt. In a flash, Kaname's hand stopped her. "If I may..?" Kaname breathlessly asked. Ema smiled and let her hands fall to her sides. She closed her eyes not because she was being shy, but she wanted to take in the feeling of his warm hands on her. One button... Two... Then three... When all buttons were undone, Kaname whispered out her name. Ema met his gaze. There was a fire burning in his moonlit eyes. He opened her shirt up, revealing the present inside. "You are immaculate, my dear..." He sighed. Ema closed her eyes tightly as she was expecting him to reach out and touch her newly exposed flesh, but Kaname's hand wrapped under the side of her ribs, hinting for her to sit up. She leaned forward, allowing Kaname to remove her shirt completely, then he laid her back down like he was lying down a baby into her cradle. Still, he did not reach out to touch. Ema watched his eyes drink up her naked breasts bathed in the moonlight. She got a chill from the lack of clothing keeping her body warm, causing her nipples to stand erect. Kaname bent down to gently tug on her PJ bottoms. Ema lifted her hips so that Kaname could remove her clothing with ease. "Oh, my goddess... What a beautiful temple you reside within..." Kaname whispered. Ema's legs had pressed tightly together as she tried to hide her face with her knuckles under her chin.  
Kaname moved under her covers to get back to the side of the bed against the wall and lay down like before. Bundled tightly together, Kaname then reached his arm around her navel. 'His hand was so warm...' Ema thought as she cuddled closer to have Kaname's chest pressing against her back. She could feel the peaked appendage in his boxers twitch against her bottom. "Ah.." She gasped as Kaname cling to her tightly. "Not to worry, my dear. I plan on keeping my word..." Kaname then started to explore her bare skin. Gentle strokes with his hands over her skin was almost ticklish and Ema squirmed a little. "That tickles," she said trying not to laugh. Kaname's hands then stroked her with a bit more pressure. He brushed the curve of her hip, down her leg, and back up again. 'Was he afraid to touch my breasts..?' Ema started to wonder. She grabbed a hold of his traveling hand with a little more force then she intended, and planted his hand on her left breast. Kaname gasped both from the contact, and from her forceful grasp. "I'm guessing that you are ready for me to serve you, my dear," Kaname said with a mischievous smile.  
Kaname's hand fondled her breast as his lips latched onto her neck. To Kaname, Ema's cries were the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. She squirmed slightly in his grasp as she could feel her body pulsing strongly between her legs. "Kaname... Ah..." Ema breathed. Kaname moved his hand down her belly to the junction between her legs. At contact, Ema bucked back hard against Kaname. Ema's body was on fire, and the aching between her legs begged for attention. "Kaname... I... I need..." "I will help you my dear, all in good time..." Kaname's pointer finger rubbed on her tender nerve center. She cried out again in pleasure. He started in slow gentle circles, before adding a bit more pressure and speeding up. Ema was thrashing under his attentions. She could feel a strong pulse in between her legs. "Kaname... Please... I feel so hot!" Ema quietly cried. Kaname shifted them both on the bed so that she was kneeling with her knees opened wide and Kaname was kneeling behind her. He suckled her neck, massaged one of her breasts, and rubbed her nerve bundle rapidly. His hold on her was tight in place. She muffled her outburst as she felt her climax erupt. Her pulse throbbed all throughout her body. She fell back onto Kaname's chest limp and twitching. Kaname took a moment to hold her in a behind embrace, placing a soft kiss on the love bite he had given her, then moved so that she could lay down.  
Ema woke up to find that Kaname was nowhere in sight. 'Was I dreaming?' were Ema's first thoughts as she started to take in her surrounding. She then noticed that she wasn't wearing her PJs. She got up and looked at herself from her dresser mirror. She could make out a hickie on her neck. If she covered it up, no one would notice. "I wonder how long I slept?" Ema asked aloud. Something deep within her felt satisfied and more relaxed then she had ever felt. "Kaname..." Did he end up leaving for his punishment last night? She felt a little guilty that Kaname had only pleasured her last night. 'Maybe he believes that we can't until being wed...' Ema's eyes shot open. Marriage? What about college? What about his duties to his temple? But would she not only burden him? He did jokingly offer that while she attended college that she could stay with him... But where? At the temple or his room here? There was so much going on in her head that she couldn't handle it alone without discussing her future with Kaname. With a sigh, Ema plopped back on her bed and covered her eyes. She blushed as she imagined being Kaname's future bride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	9. Unknown Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this had taken forever to come out. I've been doing a lot of reading here and felt inspired to try wrapping up this story. I might add one more chapter after this one, but I'm pretty happy with what I had got down. *^,^* (I used the anime Ceres for a bit of folklore. I do not own them either except for a copy of the series.)

Ema heads to the kitchen, her very being split into multiple moods. She could still feel her body's relief from tension because of what Kaname had done last night, but her brain was confused and her heart felt rejected. She wasn't sure she would get any explanation to why Kaname snuck out of her room as she slept, but she was running on auto pilot as she made her way to the kitchen. The sun was shining brightly through the living room windows, but it seemed way too quiet. It was late morning but it seemed like no one was home. Just then she heard the elevator ding to find Ukyou fumbling to get ready for work. His tie was ajar and he looked down at his wrist watch while stuffing some papers into his briefcase. It took him a moment to realize that Ema was staring at him. He actually grunted to her because his car keys were being held in his teeth. "Good morning! Sorry to be in a rush, but it seems that I overslept." Ema could have sworn she saw Ukyou blush as he pulled his coat over his suit. 'This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen Ukyou do since I started living here,' Ema thought to herself. "Would you mind taking care of lunch for everyone today, I've got to go." Ukyou mumbled as he finally straightened himself out. "Umm... Sure." Ema replied. Ukyou bowed and left her bewildered and once again alone. Her eyes darted to the calendar on the kitchen fridge. It was a Saturday. She then remembered that Wataru was with his mother for the weekend, Tsubaki and Azusa would be at work, and Masaomi was taking a weekend shift at the hospital. Could she really be all alone when this household was so big? A strange sadness descended upon her, making her scared. She went up to her other brother's bedroom doors to see if anyone was home. No answer.  
She didn't know what to do with herself. It was like being back in her childhood again. She really didn't like being alone, and being with Kaname last night, she felt even more lonely. Her relationship with Kaname just exploded into something even she couldn't deny anymore. She felt cold, and she wanted Kaname's arms wrapped around her once again. She sighed as she made her way to the bathroom, starting a bath. Her mind wondered, remembering his gentle hums in her ear, and the feeling of his lips on her neck. She touched the love bite. She wasn't claimed by Kaname... Yet. She thought about her future with Kaname. She'd go to college, and come home to him. The warm kisses, and the long nights... 'But how? Can he even marry me? Will he wait until we are?' Ema's thoughts kept circling around in her head. She had no idea what Kaname wanted, or was even allowed. She was reminded once again that he was going to get punished before last night. She sighed deeply, hoping that he had not left for this retreat even after what they had discussed last night. She wasn't be able to enjoy her warm bath after that thought.  
She had wrapped herself in a large white towel as she made her way out of the bathroom, unaware if any of her brothers had returned home. She was in a kind of daze as she opened the door and ended up bumping right into Kaname with an 'oof.' He held her by her shoulders, stabling her. "I'm sorry I... ah," Ema stuttered before she stared up at Kaname in shock. He too was recovering from the scare, but he had taken in the vision of her within his arms. "Not to worry my celestial maiden," he teased as she clung tightly to a part of her towel that had loosened. Ema's face was beet red with embarrassment. Kaname chuckled at her. "It is very cute when you're shy, but there's no way I could ever forget those sweet curves of yours..." He bent down to kiss her on the cheek before returning his eyes to hers. "I was looking for you. If you wouldn't mind, could we talk a bit after you get dressed? However if you don't want to dress, I'm afraid I'll be tempted to continue what we started last night." He laughed when he heard her squeak in response. "Okay..." Ema barely said as she dashed for the elevator. Once safely inside her room, she started to dress quickly. She managed to get dressed when a knock at her door came suddenly. "One moment," she called out. When she opened the door, Kaname was there to wrap his arms around her once again. They held each other in silence until she heard him sigh. "Such a shame..." He smiled.  
Kaname sat on the edge of her bed, explaining to her what he had done that morning while she slept. The news surprised her. Kaname had gone to his mother's office to request a job there. He explained to her that he wanted to quit his role at the temple so that he could one day support a family of his own. Miwa was almost giddy at the thought of grand kids. She had thought that the duties at their temple was something he loved, but assured him that his father wouldn't mind if their son wanted to raise a family.  
Kaname had also traveled to his temple to say his good-byes. His partners had explained to the temple leader of Kaname's situation. They didn't not punish him, nor did they truly approve of his choice. Kaname thanked them and left as quick as he could to get home to tell Ema.  
Ema's head started to spin after hearing all of this. He was really dedicating himself to her. "You can go to college and still live here. That is..." Kaname was blushing, making Ema stare at him. "Until we can get ourselves a home of our own..." Ema smiled warmly as she embraced him. He held her tightly for a while before he stood up to look at her. "I know it sounds like I'm making hasty decisions, but I want you to know that I am willing to wait forever for you." Ema smiled up at his eyes shining with love for her. "You won't have to wait too long..."  
Kaname embraced her tightly, whispering into her ear of all the love he had for her, and that he was truly grateful that the Gods had brought them together. That made Ema think of a question. "Kaname, why did you call me a 'celestial maiden?" "Its a old folklore about angelic women that had come down from the heavens to bathe. If a man was able to steal her celestial robes, or their hagoromo, they would stay on Earth and marry the man that had taken it." Kaname paused. He picked up the towel that was still wet from being wrapped around her. "Though I worship you as my goddess, you are also my angel. I will do anything for you Ema, and I love you." He bent down to kiss her again, Ema kissing back with all the love she had for this man.


End file.
